Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Rachael Sage - New Destination [EP]

Rachael
Sage – New Destination
2014, MPress Records

Rachael Sage is a four-time Independent Music Award
winning singer, songwriter, actor and sometime Comedienne. With 11 full-length albums under her belt and
numerous collaborations, it is hard to imagine Sage finding something new to
accomplish. Nevertheless, her latest
release, an EP entitled New Destination,
is a first for Sage. Recorded primarily
in her home studio, the songwriting on New
Destination brings the intimate feel of a Rachael Sage show into the
studio. It also features some of her
best songwriting to date.

Sage opens with the title track, with a bit more of
an aggressive sound than you might be used to from her. The bed of the song is still built with
piano, cello, guitar and drums, but the verses have a workmanlike feel. The chorus rises out of that atmosphere with
an uplifting and hopeful melody and message.
This might be the most commercially friendly song Sage has produced in a
while, and could be a breakout hit for pop radio in spite of the largely
acoustic palette. You’ll be hitting
replay on this tune over and over, and you won’t be able to get it out of your
head. “Wax” is a thoroughly unsettled
pop experience full of anguished beauty.
The rolling piano and metronomic rhythm section set the tone, as Sage’s
soul searching creates a visceral ‘a-ha’ moment.

“Misery’s Grace” is a cleverly disguised waltz with
a gorgeous instrumental bed. Sage holds
the center with a personal and personable performance that’s straight from the
heart. It’s also one of the most
striking vocal performances heard from her to date. “Not Leaving You” is among Sage’s most
affecting and personal songs, a strong statement about an artist who makes a
point of coming straight from the heart.
There’s a distinctive polish to this tune, and yet there’s an elemental
feel to the songwriting that manages to not get lost in the studio. This is a brilliant love ballad that’s fit
for a movie soundtrack, or perhaps even a Billboard bullet.

Brilliant is a word that gets thoroughly overused in
reviews of this sort. But it’s a word
that’s entirely apropos in this case.
Rachael Sage combines brilliant, compact and heartfelt songwriting,
professional polish and an elemental feel throughout the four songs on New Destination. This is some of her finest work to date, and
reflects, perhaps, a new stage in her career.
Given the recent attention her music has received on-line, Rachael Sage
is on the cusp of the sort of breakout that Indie musicians everywhere dream
of. Whatever tomorrow brings, New Destination is a place where you’ll
want to me. It’s a Wildy’s World Certified Desert
Island Disc.